


To Forever

by Dzuljeta



Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who & Related Fandoms, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Bathroom, Confusion, Danger, F/M, Fluff, Frustration, Kissing, Misunderstandings, Monsters, Nakedness, Near Death Experiences, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Promises, Romance, Snogging, Telepathy, Tension, Time Lady Rose, baths, heat - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-14
Updated: 2019-05-07
Packaged: 2020-01-13 12:18:20
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,058
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18468817
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dzuljeta/pseuds/Dzuljeta
Summary: Having nearly lost Rose to omnivorous beings in Pete’s World, the Doctor is determined to make sure she stays with him at all costs.Say that to the TARDIS.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> BBC owns everything.

**To Forever**

**1.**

The Doctor was terrified, having seen Rose looking like this. White as a sheet of paper, she accepted him putting him into a bath filled with hot water, the temperature of which no ordinary human could take. It was almost steaming, some colour returning to her face right away. But she didn’t say a thing. Not a word. That was just what he got for never being more attentive with her! 

“Rose,” he tried softly, honestly concerned. “How are you? Are you not hurt?”

“No,” she exhaled. “No, I’m not.”

“Don’t you understand where these tricksters have placed you in? You could have died! Eaten up by those aggressive omnivore... things! You are lucky they prefer to prepare the victim’s body first! If the old girl hadn’t warned me-”

The girl was gaping at him, feeling too insulted to care. “If she hadn’t, you’d have one less trouble in your life,” Rose said through clenched teeth, the mingled unwelcome emotions making her head swim. Even a longed-for reunion, however unusual, couldn’t go without trouble between them, it seemed...

“How dare you talk like that? You, the happiest person I have ever met? The one person I was ready to protect at all costs?”

She snorted. “Says who? The one who’s pretty much left me to rot inside the bloody parallel universe, not once trying to reach for me?”

The Doctor wasn’t happy about her words. They stung. “Now you listen to me, Rose Marion Tyler. I swear, I would have done everything in my power to bring you back here to me!”

“Funny,” she breathed out, disillusioned. “For quite a while there, I believed that. But time went by, month after month, year after… year-” The final word was a sob, the suppressed tension finally breaking.

The Doctor looked at her guiltily. “I’m sorry! Things happened and-”

Rose inhaled, choosing anger rather than tears. “Things? You have got yourself a couple of companions straight after, isn’t it so?”

“How can you know these things?” The Doctor paled. He has never told her anything about it,

“How can I-” Rose mimicked. “How could  _ you  _ do this to me? Besides, has it ever crossed 

your mind I might have been looking for the most painful way to-” She swallowed a sob. The temperature was already starting to get uncomfortable.

“Don’t say it, I beg of you!”

“Why?”

Rose’s frustration felt like it was cutting him from the inside.

The Doctor ran out of quick options and stopped her likely heartbreaking upcoming confession with a passionate kiss, one possible to give her without getting her out of the unpleasantly heated bath. 

This unexpected gesture stunned the girl, at least for a short while.

_ Please, forgive me. I didn’t realise the possibility to reach you existed. _

Rose welcomed the kiss, refusing to think about what it meant for her. Her new nature being discovered might go both ways. The Doctor may accept the changes in her or he may… not.

The Time Lord was surprised, but only for a second, realising he should have always expected for something like that from someone as incredible as Rose.

_ My Rose. I have been an ignorant fool. I- _

“You have, yes. Are you sure you want to keep me in this water for much longer? Assuming you don't intend to have a boiled Rose Tyler in your collection?”

Her quiet voice startled him. 

“Don’t say that!” The Doctor pulled her out of the bath, thankful to the old girl for providing Rose with a towel right away.

“Or what?” Her anger has returned. “My life inside Pete’s World has been a living hell. Every person other than Mum wanted me gone. While you have likely been having fun with your companions, saving worlds and whatnot.”

_ I’m sorry. So sorry… So very- _

_ Shut up! I am trying to be angry with you here,  _ she glared at him, knowing that with him, her anger could never last long.

“I know and deserve every harsh word you say. Every single one,” he assured her. He chose not to tell her just how dreadful their time apart has been for him, because the Doctor understood their situations couldn’t be compared. After all, he has been the one staying inside their original universe!

“Allow me to make up for your time without me, Rose. If there is a way, I’ll fulfill your every wish,” he spoke honestly.

“Tell me one thing. Where are your companions?” She didn’t want to be discovered being together in a bathroom with the Doctor by some... stranger.

The Doctor smiled at her. “Martha’s left, because she couldn’t deal with me mentioning your name every day. Donna’s… away for a bit. I must’ve made quite an impression on them both, with them both choosing to leave?” 

He looked at her with a flirtatious grin on his face, making Rose roll her eyes at him. “For the moment, we’re alone, just you, I and the TARDIS!”

Rose sighed. “First, you break me. Then, when we finally meet again, you give me an unforgettable snog; you learn about the drastic changes in my nature and treat it all as if it were nothing-”

The Doctor paled. “I have almost lost you today. Just after- Please, understand.”

She nodded. “I thought I was doomed to stay inside the parallel universe forever. Any attempt of mine to reach you, or anyone from our familiar Earth has been useless. It felt as if some unknown forces were  blocking my way back-”

Strangely, the Doctor didn’t try to correct her this time. 

“That’s exactly what it was, Rose. Only because of this reason, having promised the greedy beings riches from the Earth, was I allowed to pass through. I knew exactly who I was looking for, they could find no reasons not to allow me to take you back. So, as it comes _ ,  _ their greed has brought us back together! It’s the same everywhere,” he smirked at her.

“As it comes,” she echoed tiredly, “jumping from scalding heat to the unpleasantly chilly surroundings aboard doesn’t feel right.”

He gulped. “My bad.” Worried, the Time Lord understood their faithful ship TARDIS wasn’t emitting any sounds, the light aboard dim, as if she was expecting for something dreadful to happen.

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Previously...**

_ He gulped. “My bad.” Worried, the Time Lord understood their faithful ship TARDIS wasn’t emitting any sounds, the light aboard dim, as if she was expecting for something dreadful to happen. _

* * *

**To Forever**

**2.**

 

Rose has noticed the TARDIS being uncommonly quiet and dark right away, with the connection between the old girl and herself almost entirely gone.

As frustrated as she might have still been with the Doctor, she addressed him quietly.

“What’s up with the old girl? I can barely feel her presence inside my mind and-”

_ It hurts,  _ the Doctor finished telepathically.  _ She hurts. The last thing she needs is us quarrelling. As you must have noticed, she is using the remainder of her strength to keep the TARDIS at least a little enlightened, for us. _

Rose inhaled. “Which means something’s truly wrong?”

Unable to stop himself, the Time Lord pulled Rose into an embrace, not caring about the fact only a towel was covering her. 

“It depends on how you look at it, Rose. You must remember how long it took the old girl to stop tormenting me after the Reinette adventure?”

The ship bleeped angrily, noticing a momentary shadow on Rose’s face after him having mentioned that.

The companion covered her mouth.  _ You don’t mean- _

“She’s frustrated with both you and me this time, yes. According to the old girl, all we should be doing is apologise to each other and share passionate kisses afterwards,” he smiled at her wryly.  _ Or more. _

Rose giggled, amused. “Is this true?”

He nodded at her with a sigh. “You are finally back on board. Her sentient nature is clearly expecting for something from us.”

“If it means she’ll stop being angry at us, I think we should-

“Is this what you truly want? Or do you only want to calm her down?”

_ The unlikely quietude inside my mind and aboard is driving me bonkers. But what I truly need is- _

The Doctor understood. “I have never said it, not properly-”

Rose was quiet, not really sure what to expect from the Doctor, not after all this time apart.

“Rose. You are the only person I have seriously considered spending forever with,” he admitted, blushing.

“Are you sure?” She asked him, afraid to hope for what sounded like an impossibility at this point.

_ Why are you still doubting in me, Rose?  _ His words, even if uttered telepathically, felt broken.  _ What is it I am I doing wrong? Aren’t my words clear enough for you? _

Rose paled. “Nothing. You haven’t done anything wrong, Doctor. You are the most perfect person I have ever got to know, I-”

“There are no perfect people,” he said kindly. “At least neither of us is.”

She nodded. “Are we supposed to become better as Time Lords?”

“Closer to perfection, you mean? Mentally, physically, yes, we are better than humans, I suppose-” The Doctor was uncomfortable. It was unusual for him to state something like this as proudly as his previous self used to.

Rose giggled. “Go ahead. We’ll see what happens when you do.”

“Are you threatening me?”

“Absolutely not,” she shrugged, the teasing sparkle never gone from the look in her eyes. “I want to tell you what hasn’t changed,” Rose breathed. “My wild, jeopardy-friendly nature.” 

“You admit to it, at last!” The Doctor grinned at her.

“Something needs to be done when needing to hide away from your endless scientific babbling,” she winked at him.

The Time Lord rolled his eyes at her, amused. “You must know you can learn and understand everything about the  _ babble,  _ if you choose to.”

“Convince me to,” she smiled. “If you don’t feel like doing it, I’m sure the old girl would be happy to help.”

“Even I’m not sure she would,” the Doctor looked at her dubiously.

_ That’s not what she wants from us,  _ Rose reminded him playfully.

“She believes us making love would fix everything up between us,” the Time Lord gulped.

Rose inhaled, surprised at the Doctor addressing these things rather… freely, instead of using scientific terms.  _ Wouldn’t it? _

“Does this amuse you?” The Time Lord was not sure how to react. Yes, he was used to her teasing remarks and loved giving her these himself… back when they were both content with being nothing but good friends.

Rose shuddered, welcoming the Doctor’s thoughtful idea to give her his suit jacket to put on. 

“Thanks,” she smiled at him. “You really don’t need to play your grumpy previous self to me,” she reminded him.  _ My Doctor. We’re past the  _ just good friends  _ stage already, are we not?  _

“As we should have admitted to ourselves years ago,” he nodded, ashamed.

_ But we have always known it,  _ Rose beamed at the Doctor.

“Which is why the TARDIS imagines a shag should unite us-”  _ Oh, wait.  _ The pink and yellow girl burst out laughing.

The alien, meanwhile, gave her a meaningful look. “What the old girl expects from us isn’t just sex.”

Rose rolled her eyes at the Time Lord. “Obviously.  _ I’m only surprised it’s taken you this long,”  _ she shrugged, looking at the ceiling.  _ You have had years to make us jump one another. _

The TARDIS let out a warning sound.

_ She thinks we’re wasting too much time. _

Rose addressed the old girl quietly.  _ Here on Earth, making love is not- _

The Doctor stopped her with a smile. “Remember, Rose, the TARDIS is sentient, but there are a lot of things her brilliant telepathic self can’t grasp, not without modernising and renewing her systems, which we cannot do. She is likely the very last of her kind and I love her just the way she is.”

Rose grinned. “Yes! We wouldn’t change you into anything else, ever!”

She understood what the Doctor was about to do and why he hasn’t told her anything important for the TARDIS to read something inside their words.

“Could you  _ please  _ tell me something beautiful? Something untainted by dark memories? Just so I could-”

_ This is the time and place for us to begin recreating our two lives as one. _


End file.
